hey sorry for the absence. I want to finish this arc so chunkier chapters ahoy plus a double update today.
47. The BATs Begin
Just as HB had said it would, The Broomstick Aptitude Test did indeed come sooner than the first years hoped. Even Ethel was jittery. not that she would ever admit such a thing. Wednesday dawned with trepidation, then waited with bated breath for the school to wake up, some earlier then the rising bell thanks to nerves.
School went on as normal for the older girls but many of the first year's lessons were cancelled for the day to make way for extra practice. Operation BAT-Echo, as was nicknamed was perfected as best it could be. At lunch time there was great flurry of activity as staff members hurried about building the course.
On the approach of Twilight, the bells went, lamps were lit, and every witch and monster filed out to the yard or crammed around for a space to watch.
The first years in their cloaks and hats huddled in their directed space. And around them Seas and seas of faces and Even more eyes watched them. Dejavu Mildred thought, feeling so nervous her boots were quaking by themselves. Older girls, not just the day walkers this time crowded them. There were girls Hanging out of class room and dorm windows, monsters stood lining the overhead walkways. Those who didn't mind the light so much sat at benches around the courtyard or on the cobbles and took up in any space on roof tops and between battlements they could. Miss Mould sat perched in stone amongst them, Miss Crotchet perched beside her, acting as supervising the spectators on the roof tops along with Ms Scales who'd draped herself over the keep roof.
To one side of the yard Nurse Knighting-Gail stood ready with lots of paper towels and an actual first aid kit at hand. Mr Blossom stood next to a large chalk board. He had smartened up for the occasion with a clean shirt under his dungarees and a flat cap covering his exposed brains. To the other side, sat a rather odd trio made up of Ms Nightingale and Miss Drill (– was it Miss Drill? Yes no one else had the habit of twirling a whistle around like tiny lasso as she did.) with Miss Gullet. The skeleton looked extra dull and sour faced between the bubbly paint splattered witch and brightly dressed gym mistress. She seemed to be clashing with Drill over a clip board in whispered conversation with Ms Nightingale stuck in trying to keep the peace, her smile more a grimace.
There were a few teachers and staff Mildred still didn't know yet. Even some of the kitchen gnomes and laundry Orcs had come along. Some cruel beast had even dragged a very tired out Mr De Bloom looking to watch. And Professor Gimlet lurked in a shadowy corner. Or at least Mildred thought it was the professor. All The other teachers about too. but Mildred couldn't see Miss Bat. Maybe she was hiding again? She couldn't see HB or Miss Cackle either although the large black parasol stood ready for the vampire. But the moment Mildred thought that, there came a shout.
"Attention Please!"
And HB with Miss Cackle appeared by a start sign. the crowd went silent.
"First years. Welcome to your Cackle Broomstick Aptitude test." Miss Cackle said loudly. She made a short speech about history and the craft and finally wished them all the best of luck. This was met by a polite smattering of applause. Then the first-year girls gasped, and the older girls cooed and clapped louder; At a flick of magic from the Head girl, the shadow of the start sign shadow stretched from the any other shade then broke off in front of them. It filled out becoming matte and defined, then peeled up from the floor like a sticker from its backing. And continued to morph and almost boil till it quickly formed a paper doll. almost featureless bar the vague profile of a face and a witch's hat.
Even Mildred forgot her fears for a moment. Shadow magic is notoriously tricky. Just ask anyone who has ever read Peter Pan. more so when you pull it from the surface. Real witchcraft.
"As your name is called you will come forward," Miss Cackle said paying the shadow as much attention as one would a very basic levitation spell. "Order a hover and then mount your broom. And on the whistle, you will fly around the court yard, following the course rings."
As she said it, the little shadow-witch changed shape again in front of the audience, so it showed the little figure now on a broom. Then, as HB took over and started listing off more of their instructions, the shadow took off, demonstrating a fly around the course and each obstacle like a puppet. It reminded Mildred of those witches you sometimes see on cast iron weather vanes; flat and spinning in the breeze. She frowned in concentration trying to block out her class mates whisperings and follow cardboard like figure along. Thanks to Fenny and Griz's help she knew what the BATs would involve and what order. But seeing it performed in front of her now it didn't seem like a test at all. In fact, the words Assault course sprung to mind.
Unbeknown to her the headmistress was having similar thoughts.
"And hang it on the flag pole before returning to earth! Perfectly simple." HB finished. There was a few oohs and another smatter of Applause as the shadow performed a text book landing and the silhouette demonstration vanished. That is to say it dropped its form with a small pop becoming a blob of shade on the ground before taking its original form as a perfectly ordinary shadow and the head girl blushed at the attention, relieved she'd managed to complete one of the yearly traditions of being a head-ghoul.
"any questions girls?" Miss Hardbroom asked.
Several hands went up. Several hands were ignored.
"no? good." Miss Hardbroom said. "into line then!"
"seems rather a tough BAT this year, HB?" Miss Cackle asked aside quietly as the first years shuffled into order.
"Just keeping up standards Headmistress." Miss Hardbroom insisted. And added "Besides It even passed Miss Gullet's safety assessment. First time."
"just." a certain skeleton muttered. And got an elbow to the rib.
"and I have tested it myself as have three of the prefects. It is very simple to master." Miss Hardbroom continued. Then addressing the first years. "First- Ethel Hallow. Show them how it's done please..."
"Easy-peasy." the Fae witch hissed nastily, mostly in Mildred's direction. Sadly, like a lot of Ethel's nasty hissings it went unnoticed by the teachers. miss Cackle took her seat with them leaving Miss Hardbroom at the start line stood under the shade of her black floating black parasol now armed Miss Drill's whistle and Miss Gullets clipboard.
Ethel took her place, suddenly sugar and spice and everything nice. Again. With an "Up and away!", Ethel took off against the sunset and the tests began.